Home at Last
by Taiora Freak
Summary: Two years. Two long, painful years had it taken her to finally get home. She had fought hard to stay alive, second by second, minute by minute. She was home again and her relationship deepens one late night at the balcony she loves so much. Full/S inside


**A/n:** Here's another little sparky story. This story surrounds the option that Elizabeth returns to Atlantis after she was captured by Oberoth. I was surprised to find out that Torri did not continue playing Elizabeth Weir in the series and I think it was a really stupid idea to remove her since she was very much the pillar who held the expedition together and without her the whole series kinda fell apart. I wrote this story set two years after John left Elizabeth on the Asuran's planet. So now she's back and in action, let Sparky continue in the realm of fanfiction. I also put Carson Beckett in there. I know he died but Atlantis is not the same without good old Carson so he deserves to be there as well.

Read, enjoy and review, but please spare me the flames. Remember reviews are still my favorite drug except watching Sparky unfold on my television of course xD. I won't hold you up any longer, enjoy the story.

This is a copy of of the same story named 'Home at Last'. It has suddenly, out of the blue sky decided to vanish into thin air so I replace it with this until the problem is fixed. It is the same story so sorry for the grammar and spelling errors.

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I own nothing.

**Summary:** Two years. Two long, painful years had it taken her to finally get home. She had fought hard to stay alive, second by second, minute by minute. She was home again and her relationship deepens one late night at the balcony she loves so much. She lets her guard down and surrender to her emotions.

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Home at Last

She had finally come home. After two years imprisonment she had finally found her way back to the one place she called home. The Great City had not changed so much, not close enough to stand up to the changes in her. For one thing she was no longer the same woman who had once stepped through the Stargate, welcomed something unknown. She was not the same diplomat that had been granted the privilege to lead an expedition to another galaxy. But most of all, she was not the same Elizabeth Weir, the gentle but determined woman whom never would have taken another life, never would have given up hope.

She had given up hope of ever seeing the Ancestors City long ago, she had even given up on seeing her people, but nothing had stopped her from believing. She had always believed in her second in command even though they didn't agree on certain things, doing them in certain ways. She had always given him her full trust, she trusted him with her life. She always believed in him and his abilities to never give up. Even in the darkest hour she had never given up her belief that one day, John Sheppard would find her, dead or alive, and bring her home. But that belief slowly faded after the moths passed painfully by. She knew he would never give up on her and she would never, had never given up on him, but she had lost all belief that she would see his face again even though he managed to find her, she was certain by that time she would no longer be breathing, but she was wrong.

Elizabeth let a low sigh escape her lips as she silently rose from her chair. She let her hand slide along the glass surface of her desk before leaving her office. She passed the control room where only a minimal staff was manning the gate controls; most were taking their rest, as she should have been. She smiled at the technicians she passed on her way and they returned her gesture, their faces glowing with happiness.

It moved her to see them all acting this way, no, acting was not the right word, they were genuinely happy to see her and that meant a lot to her. It was not only the night shift, but the rest of her expedition members all behaved like this as well. They were smiling and chatting friendly with her whenever she met them; in the corridors, the mess hall and in her office.

She could still remember their faces as she passed through the Event Horizon, returning home after so long.

_Elizabeth paused as the gateroom materialized before her, taking a moment to drink in the lush colors and brightness of the city she loved so much._

_Her gaze drifted to the familiar glass walls of her office, to the shiny metal of the inner balcony, and finally, to the open air of the control center, where Chuck and Radek Zelenka stood side by side, their faces glowing. A dozen more expedition members lined the upper railings beside them, smiling down at her._

_More people were gathered in the corners of the gateroom, while others were making their way in from the corridors. Familiar faces also lined the steps leading to the upper part of the room, which Colonel John Sheppard was walking down, trailed by Rodney, Teyla and Ronon._

_She stepped forward on the dais to greet them as the marines raised their P-90s. The wormhole shut down by the time John reached her, wearing an unreadable expression. He gestured to the marines and they lowered their weapons while watching her wearily. _

"_John," she whispered, her voice tired and hoarse. She hadn't realized how weary she sounded._

"_Elizabeth" Her name left his mouth as a whisper as he took a few steps forward, "Is it really you?"_

_She couldn't speak, no words would leave her mouth as she locked gaze with him, a tired smile warming her lips as she nodded slowly. His next move came as a surprise to everyone, her most. He gently drew her into a warm embrace, his arms wrapping around her._

_Elizabeth stiffened at the sudden human contact but relaxed her muscles a moment later, sliding her arms around his neck, her head coming to rest against his shoulder. Memories of endless days in the dark cell made her tremble slightly. She could still remember Oberoth's mind games – the way he used to manipulate her consciousness to play out whatever sick reality he wanted. She recalled the Asuran leader's impassive,_ _insensible voice as he interrogated her, over and over again playing her friends' death in front of her eyes._

_John felt Elizabeth stiffen in his arms and felt the hatred blossom once again in his stomach. His thoughts returned to the Asurian leader. He could only imagine the torture she had suffered at the hands of Oberoth. His arms tightened around her protectively. Never would he let her out of his sight again. She was not to be aloud off world travels, not without him and many of the marines with her at all times. _

_She reluctantly let go of his neck, weariness and tiredness evident in her eyes. She smiled to the expedition members as she took a few steps away from John. More people were crowding into the room now, and she gazed back over the mass of them, studying their eager expressions, many joyful smiles beaming from faces that were careworn and looked as exhausted as she felt. _

"_It's so good to see you all again," She began slowly, gesturing to all of them before sending John and his team a warm smile, earning the same in return. The room grew quite as she straightened. "I know this must have been hard, for all of you. But thank you. For your time and dedication, and your faith both in me and each other. That was what kept me alive through the hard times and the darkest hours. That is what brought me back to Atlantis. Back home."_

_The gateroom echoed with applause, the expedition members showing their gratitude and their joy._

_John leaned closer to her, whispering into her ear over the thunder of sound._

"_Elizabeth, welcome home."_

A small smile played on her lips as she remembered Carson's worried expression as he and his medical team made their way through the crowd.

_Some of the crowd to the far right parted as the medical team made their way through, Carson at the head._

"_Elizabeth! Oh, thank god," he cried as they drew near, raising laughter from most of the expedition. "Are you all right dear?"_

"_I'm fine, Carson."_

"_I'm the medical doctor, I'll be the one to determine that. We need t get you down to the infirmary."_

_She reached a hand out towards him, laying it gently on his shoulder. "I'm fine, I promise. It can wait."_

Elizabeth silently walked over to the door leading out to her favorite place; the balcony. It had become their balcony; hers and John's, no one else ever used it as though it had become some unspoken rule among her people.

Another sigh escaped her lips as she traced the cold railing, green eyes gazing out at the calm ocean. She closed her eyes, allowing the lapping of the waves against Atlantis's great pier to soothe her. She loved it up here – it had been her favorite spot since they first came to Atlantis; a haven at times when nothing seemed to be going right or something bothered her.

Three months had passed since she stepped through the Stargate and with a lot of discussions, meetings, medical tests the SGC and IOA had let her resume her leadership. The expedition members had helped a lot during the meetings with the IOA, supporting her and making a good case for her to resume the leadership of Atlantis.

Carson and Rodney had found a way to neutralize the nanites in her body. By giving her the ancient gene the nanites began to withdraw themselves, letting the nerves take over, rebuilding her body back to normal. She was finally Elizabeth Weir again, but her memories and experiences still lingered in her mind, reminding her of the last two years away from home. She knew very well that she would not be the old Elizabeth again, but a more experienced and courageous woman instead. She would not linger in the past even though the nightmares were a constant reminder. She would wake up knowing that they were not real and she would keep on going.

The door behind her slid open with its signature whoosh and she lifted her head, though she didn't open her eyes. The footsteps were so wonderfully familiar she had no need to look to know who was coming.

"What are you doing up so late, John?"

She could hear him take his usual place beside her, arms resting on the railing. She slowly opened her eyes, still gazing out on black horizon but eyeing him in her peripheral vision.

He wasn't surprised to find her out here. He knew that if she wasn't in her office she would always be out here, gazing at the secretive ocean, taking a moment to reassemble her thoughts. He walked slowly over to her and when she spoke up he was not surprised she knew who he was. It was their balcony after all. No one other than themselves used this place, it had become their private meeting place over the years and no one bothered them while they were out here if not an emergency occurred which was not so unusual, considering the many unknown ancient devices and a bunch of curious scientists, among them the self-indulgent Rodney McKay and his counterpart, the Czech Radek Zalenka.

She slowly turned towards him when he didn't answer. He could see the weariness in her green eyes even though she tried to mask it. He knew she didn't get much sleep and it did bother him a little that she wasn't taking care of herself. She was always working, day and night without stops. He had not once seen her without the data pad nor had he seen her in the mess hall. He had once or twice seen her leave her office only to attend to something in the control room or in the lab with Rodney, and once in a while she was out on their balcony. He knew she was dealing with the aftereffects of the time with Oberoth. She was a lot more skittish than usual and he could clearly see that she wasn't sleeping nor eating properly. He could only imagine the frightening nightmares she was having every night. He wanted no more than to hold her, keep her safe in his arms, but he pushed the thought away as he looked at her. Even though she was worn she still looked beautiful. Her curly brown hair was a bit longer, reaching to her shoulder blades but still curling beautifully familiar around her neck and face. Her green eyes bore the slightest hint of the old Elizabeth and he knew she would resurface once she got used to being safe again, not fearing for her life every second, awake as well as asleep. He also knew that she hadn't had human contact in quite a while considering she was stiffening every time someone touched her and he wanted so much to just give her all the contact she needed to get rid of the uneasiness she felt but he knew that would be inappropriate. So instead he settled with the silent comfort of standing beside her, watching the ocean.

He chose to ignore her question knowing to well why he was here and not in his quarters. The comforting silence lasted a few moments until he turned to face her, his eyes seeking hers. He heard her give low sigh as she faced him and he could see all the emotions from fright to anger in her eyes as she desperately tried to hide them under a camouflage of calm and authority. She had fooled him before but not this time. He would not let her calm demeanor fool him again when he knew she was suffering the aftereffect of the torment she went through for over two years.

"John," Elizabeth began before he could say anything, knowing too well which road their conversation would head down. She could see the emotions deep in his eyes, the years of self loathing weakening his defenses. "It's not your fault."

"It's my job to protect you Elizabeth and I failed." John cut her off, his hands clutching the railing in a death grip making his knuckles turn white. She could hear his self loathing in his worn and angry voice.

She slowly turned towards him, afraid to see the worn and tired man beside her. She knew he had been beating himself up about her capture and it hurt her to see him like this. He was not the same high tempered young man he was before. Now he bore an impermeable mask of a man with too many burdens, not John Sheppard like at all. She wanted the old John back, the man who was always arguing about her given orders, his flyboy smiles as well as his child like behavior towards weapons and things in that category. But she knew things would be different this time around. It would never be the same. The old saying, things are easier said than done, was right after all even though she didn't want to admit it. They could not go back to the way things were. Things had changed. They had changed. If they ever were to regain a somewhat normal life, the tense air surrounding them all had to be broken, and their trust and friendship in each other rebuilt. First of all she had to clear things out with her Second in Command.

"There was nothing you could have done John…" She began gently, fully turned to him, her eyes set on his tensing body.

"Damnit Elizabeth, I left you…" He cut her off again, voice rising. He took a step closer to her, his hands balled into tight fists at his side, trembling with the share force of his anger directed at himself.

"Could you please stop interrupting me John?" She raised her voice to match his as she looked at him sternly. "I know you have been blaming yourself for this but in all honesty it was nothing you could have done to stop Oberoth. I chose to do what I did and I would do it again if it was to save you and your team."

"Elizabeth," Her name came out as a tender murmur, his anger gone in a flash. He looked at her, his eyes so filled with emotions she had to avert her gaze for not to be sucked into their depths. "I'm sorry, I should have tried harder, I should have gone back there and forced my way to you but I didn't and I regret that."

"You would only have gotten yourself killed John. Why can't you understand that there was nothing you could have done to change things? We all knew the risks when we chose to infiltrate the Asuran's home-world but we did it and it went wrong. No one is to blame John Sheppard, not you, not Rodney, not anyone. You got that?" She locked eyes with him. She had never seen him like this, so open and so…vulnerable.

His next move took her of guard. John unclenched his fists and gently grabbed her shoulders before drawing her close to him. He wrapped his strong arms around her small frame protectively, clinging to her like she was his lifeline and in truth she was. How he had longed to just hold her like that, feeling her warmth against his body, feel her soft curly hair under his chin and hear her heart beat against his chest.

Her first reaction was to stiffen in alarm but quickly relaxed her muscles, letting her arms wrap around his neck. She instinctively let her head rest against the crook of his neck, breathing in the calming smell of John Sheppard.

She let her eyes close and allowed the wall surrounding her built up feelings to crumble, knowing she was safe in his embrace. Tears blurred her vision, threatening to reveal her inner turmoil. She trembled slightly in his arms and he acted out of instinct when he tightened his hold on her, resting his head on her soft head while breathing in her wonderful smell. A shuddering breath left her mouth as the first tear fell from her green eyes. It ran slowly down her cheek and onto John's black shirt. She couldn't keep her emotions locked away any longer and more and more tears cascaded down her now red cheeks as John gently stroke her back while whispering, "it's okay," and "you are safe now," over and over again.

Her tears dried eventually and she slowly stepped back, eyes downcast.

"Lizabeth," John said quietly when she was quiet for too long. She'd missed that name, the version that was missing one syllable that only John ever used. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." He seemed to understand the words for what they were, for the memory that they sprang from.

"I just can't seem to... accept all this, to believe that I'm back, I keep waiting to wake up in the room with Oberoth realizing that none of this is real," she told him quietly, as though she was afraid that saying the words might make it happen.

"And if you accept that you're back and you wake up... it'll hurt more." He finished for her and she once again nodded her head. He knew how much it took for her to open up to him like that, especially given everything that had happened. His next move surprised them both, he reached out and grabbed her hand, lifting it and holding it where the two of them could see it.

He felt an unusual wave of emotions hit him, the simple gesture bringing up feelings he'd denied were there. They both just stared at their entwined hands for a moment, each focused on their own internal thoughts.

"See," John said barely above a whisper. "That feels pretty real to me."

"Thank you John." Elizabeth blushed as she nodded. She looked down, then back into his eyes. "I really missed you. I almost lost hope that you ever would…" She trailed off, remembering the painful interrogation sessions with Oberoth."

"Shh", he placed a finger across her lips. "Don't say that, okay? Don't even think about it." At her nod he grinned his sheepishly flyboy smile before slowly removing his finger from her warm lips. "By the way Elizabeth, I'm never letting you step through that gate without me again, you hear that? Never."

"That's not necessary John, I think you are taking this a step too far…"

"Elizabeth." She felt his strong fingers lifting her jaw, grazing the silky skin of her cheek and a shiver ran along her spine. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again and that's final."

She blushed as her eyes locked with his for a brief moment before he let go of her chin. She straightened before clearing her throat. "Besides," She began, brushing a stray strand of her from her eyes. "You know very well that every time you try to negotiate you always find a way to make someone angry, ending the whole meeting in a fight." She let a sigh escape her lips as she looked at him, her eyes resembling the old Elizabeth. "I have read enough of your reports to know you are not an expert at negotiations John."

"Then you just have to get used to having me by your side even when you are in the middle of a conversation because as I said, I won't let you out of my sight when we are off-world."

"John Sheppard are you worried about my safety." She smiled sheepishly at him before turning towards the calm ocean.

At this John blushed while his brain tried to find a way out of the dilemma he had gotten himself into, but considering all the things he had done today he might as well come clean so he only nodded while a lopsided smile spread across his face. He turned back to the ocean, resting his arms on the railing like he always did.

He wasn't really sure how long they stood like that, both gazing out at the silent ocean, deep in thought. After a while he became aware that the woman beside him had become quite cold. He saw how she shivered in the cool night air, wrapping her arms around her body in an effort to warm herself.

He moved closer, slowly and quietly slipping his leather jacket from his shoulders and wrapping it around Elizabeth's small shoulders.

She jumped slightly at the sudden touch, but relaxed as soon as realization dawned on her and she sent John a thankful smile. He responded with one of his own quirky smiles, the corners of his lips pulling up slightly as he tilted his head downward in her direction, his expression holding a deeper feeling than he let on.

She snuggled deeper into his warm jacket, wrapping it around herself and without a second thought, he stepped closer and slipped his arms under the coat, protectively moving to wrap them around her slim form.

This time she didn't stiffen, but instead snuggled closer to him if that was even possible. Smaller hands covered his as she stepped back into his embrace and he gently wrapped his arms around her middle, settling her own on top of them.

A smile found its way to his features as he felt her small hands on top of his bigger ones. He drew her closer to him, trying to convince his tired mind that he really was standing here, on their balcony with her in his arms. Still, he could not seem to believe Elizabeth had escaped Oberoth. He was waiting to wake up and realize that this was just another dream, but it was not. She was here with her people, with him. With the memory of her return still fresh in his mind, he tightened his hold on her to feel her close against his body.

"_Unscheduled off world activation" Chuck's voice rang through the gateroom, startling the technicians working by the ancient consoles. _

_Colonel John Sheppard ran into the room and over to the brown haired scientist__. "Do we have an IDC?" _

"_Reading Elizabeth Weir IDC sir." Chuck told him, surprise evident in his strong voice._

_He nodded to the technician as he swiftly walked over to the little balcony surveying the gateroom. "Lower the shield." His voice was wavering slightly and he had a hard time trying to hide his emotions from the rest of the expedition. He forced the little hope from his heart, knowing that if it wasn't Elizabeth the hurt would never heal, he would not manage to get over it this time. So he tried to banish the small hope of seeing her well and alive, walk through the gate but the little shine in his eyes, resembling the old Sheppard had found its place in his hazel depths. He could feel his heart beat faster and faster as he saw Chuck's hand slowly reach over to deactivate the iris surrounding the Ancestral ring. Any minute now he would either see the familiar face of the one they had lost two years ago or he would have to fight the world shattering around him for the thousand time. He braced himself for the latter, clutching the railing in a death grip as he looked down at the activated gate. He tapped his earpiece twice, "Ronon, get Teyla and McKay and meet me in the control room immediately."_

_The marines had already gathered in the gateroom, all lined up around the dais, weapons ready to fire just in case something unwelcome step through the gate. _

_Teyla and Ronon ran into the control room with a complaining Rodney trailing in their wake. How he hated being interrupted when he was in the middle of something good. He came to an abrupt stop when he saw the look in John's eyes as he watched the gate intently. He quickly walked over to them, already knowing what was happening considering the sparks in the Colonel's eyes. He knew only one person who could bring them back to life but he sent Teyla a hesitant look to be sure, asking, "Is it…"_

_Teyla nodded, a smile covering her gently features, "I believe so." _

_Rodney felt his heart skip a beat as he watch the wormhole materialize under him, enlightening the room in a familiar clear blue light. He clutched the data pad in his arms harder, his thoughts racing through his head. He had called Zelenka and told him to come to the control room, earning a few Czech words from the scientist for interrupting him, but he had reluctantly left his research and joined them in the control room. Standing beside Chuck, who had left his usual seat to look down at the person they all hoped would step through the gate any minute now. _

_John felt his breath leave his lungs as the woman he had been searching after for over two years materialized before him. She looked tired and ready to pass out any minute but he couldn't get his feet to work. He was frozen in place, watching her as she took in the overwhelming scenery of the great city. He saw the sparkles in her green eyes and the smile grazing her lips. A nudge in his ribs woke him from his musings and he forced his feet to carry him towards the stairs, a look of surprise and longing in his warm hazel eyes. The overwhelming emotions he had held inside for so long escaped his shield as he saw her standing only a few inches away from him and he had in that moment dropped his guard and hugged her._

He sighed as the memory flooded his mind, setting his heart aflame once more. She hadn't told anyone about her experiences up to her escape from the Asurans home-world. He knew the memories was too hard to recall and to tell them out loud, making it all real, was not something anyone did without hesitation. He knew she would tell them eventually when she was ready and until that moment he would be there for her, all the way.

He tightened his hold on the woman in his arms. Never would he let her go, he would not lose her again. This whole ordeal, two years of his life, had it taken him to finally realize how much she meant to him. How dependent he had become of having her near him. He rested his head on her soft curly hair and breathed in her sweet scent as his lips grazed her hair in a feather light kiss.

"It's good to have you back; we all... missed you." He told her awkwardly, his voice muffled by her hair. He wasn't a man who voiced his feelings very often, especially the deeper ones which had the power to cause you pain.

"I've missed you too." She replied, a smile spreading across her face as she closed her eyes, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "It's good to be home." She murmured softly.

"Home at last." John whispered lovingly into her hair, hazel eyes closed.


End file.
